THOSE alarm bells are ringing all right, and getting louder. David Sullivan caused a stir when he used the phrase after derby disappointment against Villa.

And he warned that anyone who wasn't worried about Blues current plight must be 'crazy'.

The underlying intention of his message was a shock tactic, designed to concentrate minds of those who felt everything would click into place eventually.

And the co-owner doesn't have to go public and hit out again, for it is undeniable that Blues are in trouble - big trouble.

Against Blackburn they lacked confidence and selfbelief. Players were inhibited and tentative, no-one stepped to the plate to take charge.

There was no creativity. Blues' first and only shot came in the 72nd minute and they are so predictable in their lines of attack that they are easy to defend against (gets the bits and bobs around Heskey, clamp down on Pennant, job done).

All season the opposition have been gifted goals because of lapses in concentration and individual errors, and it happened again at Ewood Park.

Matthew Upson perhaps shouldn't have grappled with the smaller Paul Dickov quite in such robust manner, but the renowned diver suckered referee Barry Knight into awarding a penalty, which Dickov then smashed straight down the middle to tip the game towards Blackburn.

Upson and Kenny Cunningham got in each other's way to present Craig Bellamy with the chance to go clear and score the clinching goal late on.

The controversy surrounding the 49th-minute penalty might not have mattered anyway had Dickov not squandered an easy chance just before half-time after Stan Lazaridis wafted out his left leg and failed to cut out a through-ball.

When Blues don't have a goalscoring punch of their own, then the errors they make become more and more costly.

You have to feel sorry for Emile Heskey. He carried the load all last season and it's the same this time round.

Sadly, Mikael Forssell continues to labour and Walter Pandiani didn't even get off the substitutes' bench when Blues needed an equaliser.

Blues are in desperate need of a player like an Andrew Johnson, Lomana LuaLua or Bellamy; someone with pace to go in behind, to make defenders think more and stretch the game.

Clinton Morrison would not have scored the goals he is getting in the Championship had he stayed, but he would have provided an alternative that is now sorely required, he would have gone down the sides and dovetailed with Heskey.

The decision to sell and not replace like for like is coming home to roost, at least in the short-term.

When the transfer window opens in January, manager Steve Bruce has to be active. We're back to that stage when Blues were first promoted: Dugarry, Upson, Clemence and Clapham came in, reinvigorating Savage and Horsfield, and helped save the day.

Blues need freshening up. Several players are coming to the end of their shelf lives at St Andrew's whether it's through age, waning form, susceptibility to injury or contractually, and they are performing as if they know it. Some are comfortable too, the drive and urgency has gone missing.

When Neil Kilkenny and, to a lesser extent, Jiri Jarosik were introduced on Saturday, Blues perked up (although it could be argued that they couldn't do any worse).

Kilkenny's first contribution was a sliding 30-yard pass that split the defence and almost put Heskey in. Unless David Dunn is fit, you just don't see that sort of thing from Blues.

Should Bruce now consider changing the formation - playing five in midfield perhaps - and giving Kilkenny a go?

At the moment, with those alarm bells ringing, something has to change.